The guy i bought my '71 240z off of had removed the gas strut which holds the rear hatch up to save weight. I want to replace it as the door is quite heavy, and i am sick of it falling on my head. Are the gas struts interchangeable through all Zed's, or do i need to source a 240z strut? Also in the Haynes manual it shows a picture of a Z with two struts (one on each side), but my cart only has the space to attach a strut on one side (left hand side). Has the guy removed the right hand strut assembly, or do 240z's only have one strut? Thanks in advance.

Alan H Adelaide, Australia

 

The 240Z had only one strut, on the left side. I've heard that the later two-strut design can only be used if both are installed as one isn't strong enough to hold up the hatch. But it may not be possible to attach one to each side on a 240Z.

 

You can get the struts re gassed for around $AUD25 or so.

 

For anyone interested.... Today i picked up a strut of a 260z, and put it on my 240z. It worked, except the mount that is attached to the hatch is not long enough, so only one bolt can be used. The strut is also a tiny bit to long, so i am going to make up a new mount that is longer length wise and shorter height wise to make the strut fit. I hope this helps anyone else with rear gas strut problems.

Alan, Australia